The Fairbanks Rescue Mission was incorporated in November of 1973 and opened the original mission shelter in February 1974 (on Valentine's Day). The first Chairman of the Board was James Barefoot, then the Executive Director of Polar Evangelism. The Vice-Chairman was Ralph Pike, who was to become the Executive Director of the Rescue Mission for a total of thirteen years. Barefoot, Pike, and the rest of the Board of Directors guided the Mission through those formative years and have watched it become a stable door of evangelism and Christian service in the Fairbanks community. The Mission operates the only overnight emergency shelter for men, women, and children in Interior Alaska, and, therefore, has a key role to play in the life of our community.

In April of 2000, work was started on a new 41,000 square foot building at 723 27th Avenue. We moved into the new building in January of 2001 and it was dedicated in May of 2001. We are licensed to have 100 beds for men and 60 beds for women. Some of the new areas that we can serve with this building are men with children and women with older boy's': areas that were not available before. This building was a gift from Dennis and Mary Wise, for those in need in the Fairbanks area. If you are one of the supporters of the Mission, know that without you this work would not exist. God Bless you.